Never Letting Go
by ecrivaisseur
Summary: OUAT two part, one-shot. Romantic CaptainCharming, non-brotp. Killian died in David's arms, but does that mean he is gone forever?
1. Chapter 1

**This two part, one-shot is based off a prompt from OTP Prompts on Tumblr. I hope you enjoy it!**

Never Letting Go

Part One

" _Killian…_ " David quivered, tears flooding down his cheeks as he grasped the man's body in his lap, cusping his head in his hands. " _Killian, no,_ " he repeated.

A servant had found his body while he was dusting the great hall of the palace, lying there on the stone floors, sprawled about. Knowing him to be the King's husband, the servant had had word sent out to him immediately.

David had been out, visiting his mother. Killian was supposed to go with him, but was feeling sick. _If only I'd been here for him_ , David thought, _maybe I could've saved him_.

His body couldn't have been there more than an hour, since that was the last time David had seen him, shortly before he left to go visit his mother's farm only a few miles away. It had been a passionate, happy and warm goodbye from Killian for such a short departure. David could still feel the heat of the man's lips against his even now as he held the man in his arms.

"David," said the faint voice of Snow White and she laid her small hand gently on his shoulder, "I am so sorry."

David could bear to rip his eyes away from the lifeless image of his husband to look at her. The pale, empty face of the dead man looked wholly foreign to David, who, in that moment, had flashes of the warm, bright and happy face of his husband racing through his mind.

The eyes that looked back at him could've been those of a stranger.

A gash that pierced through his stomach appeared to be the cause of his demise. Blood seeped from his lifeless body into David's hands as he finally managed to rip his gaze away from the man and to the guards that stood solemn nearby.

"How did this happen?" he demanded, almost furiously if it were not for the aching cry in his voice.

Their blank faces answered him. They didn't know.

His eyes moved back to Killian's face. He looked at him, his eyes, his lips, his cheeks, his eyebrows, all which once happily formed together the face of a cheerful, smiling man in rhythmic harmony, though now fell empty and cold. David almost half-expected Killian's eyes to suddenly fill with life again, and his lips to form into a grin, displaying his gleaming white teeth, and he would admit to everyone there that this was all just one large, humorous joke.

But he realized that that wouldn't happen.

Killian Jones, his husband, friend, adviser and hero, was dead.

He leaned forward closely to Killian's face and whispered somberly. "I will always love you. Forever and ever."

* * *

It was a grand funeral for Killian Jones the one that the kingdom held for him. A massive, lavish event, with all of the people of the kingdom in attendance. The people had loved Killian. He had been a generous and kind man to everyone he had met, and it showed with the thousands of people who gathered to mourn his loss.

Even the Evil Queen, with her severe dislike for Snow White and Prince Charming, had herself been fond of the dark-haired man, and attended the funeral. She set aside her hatred for David, and offered him her condolences.

"Give King David my sympathies," she had somberly told Snow White.

Snow White, the gracious and kind lady she was, one of David's truest friends, had planned the whole thing down to the flower displays. David, in his grief, had found himself unable to do much of anything in the days following the loss of Killian. He had hardly left his tower bedroom of the palace, usually spending his days trapped in his bed.

Sleep was the only reassurance he could go to, because then, only in his dreams, could he be reunited with the man who had stolen his heart. The only person he had ever truly loved.

But, more often than not, he had nightmares of that day. When he had first been called to return to the palace, when he had walked in, wondering what could be the problem, and when he aw his husband's body slumped over on the floor, a pool of blood drenching the ground underneath him. When David had rushed over to him and tried to save him, despite knowing it was futile, wanting to do whatever he could to bring him back to life. And when he had been forced to accept that the man was gone. Forever.

But that day was different. David hadn't been able to sleep at all that day. No, instead he stood near the large window of his room, watching below as the people of his kingdom gathered in the courtyard and gardens of the palace to pay their respects to the King's beloved husband.

He had agreed the week before to appear at the funeral, to say goodbye to the man he loved, making his first appearance to the kingdom since Killian's death.

"David?" Snow asked from behind, quietly entering the room. He turned and looked at her, though said nothing. "Everyone is ready. Are you coming?"

He nodded and followed her out of his bedroom, down the halls of the palace and to the great hall. Through the great, wooden doors they passed into the courtyard, and he greeted his kingdom solemnly. They bowed to him as he walked over to Killian's body, which was mounted on a platform of flowers, on display for the kingdom to say goodbye.

And that was exactly was David did.

"Goodbye, Killian," he muttered as he laid his hand gently across the man's chest and closed his eyes, one last tear managing to escape from his eyelid.


	2. Chapter 2

Never Letting Go

Part Two

It was four years since he had lost his true love. The anniversary to be exact. And David had managed to, somewhat, move on with his life.

He had abdicated the throne a week after the funeral, unable to lead the kingdom after Killian's death, and had quickly crowned Snow White as the Queen before his departure. She was more than willing to take up the role, and he knew she'd make a wonderful queen, and would be able to rule the people wisely, justly and fairly, and treat them with kindness just as she'd shown him.

And she had, and Snow White became a successful and prosperous queen, expanding the kingdom vastly under her rule, including the addition of King Leopold's kingdom, which passed to her after the Evil Queen's death two years later.

But, none of these things affected David.

After abdicating, he had retired to his family's farm with his mother, where he mourned for several more months. Within a year, he finally found himself able to get on with his life, and started to help his mother run the farm, just as he'd done before becoming king. He also focused on pursing hobbies he enjoyed, such as horse riding and sword fighting.

All of it was quite a good distraction, though everyday he still thought about Killian. In time, however, he had stopped feeling sad about the man's loss, and instead started to feel happy about the time they had spent together. The many years of joy and love they had lived were constantly refreshing memories for him.

And, he always had his mother for support. It had been she who had told him to not reflect on his loss, but on the time they'd been together.

"David," she had said, "Don't mourn his loss. He wouldn't want you to remember him like that. Instead, celebrate the wonderful years you had together, child."

She was right, and he decided to start doing so.

* * *

A sudden knock at the front door of his mother and his's cottage on their farm woke David from his sleep. It was loud, loud enough to wake David from a dream he was having of Killian. Rubbing his eyes gently, he swept the covers off his bed and walked down the hallway of the cottage. He wondered who it could be at that hour of the night.

Another knock. "I'm coming," David said sleepily dragging his feet against the floor.

Reaching the front of the house, he unlatched the door and opened it hazily, sleep still threatening him.

Suddenly, however, everything became clear and his heart stopped beating. He lost his breath.

Before him stood the man he had missed for four years. The man who he had loved. The man who had died in his arms. The man he had buried. The man he dreamed about every night.

Killian Jones.

"David-" Killian said desperately, "I found you."

David's eyes widened, his mouth gaped open, and a flood of emotions ran him through. He was left entirely speechless. For four years, he had thought the man he loved to be dead. Gone. He had dreamed about this moment, though he had fully convinced himself it would never, ever happen.

He would never see Killian again, he had thought. Though here he was, standing before him, alive and talking to him.

 _A cruel dream_ , David thought to himself as he pinched his arm, despite knowing full well that this was not a dream. This was real. Killian Jones was really alive.

The man spoke again, stepping forward slightly towards David. "I know you thought I was dead. It was Pan. He, made it look - I am sorry." A cry could be heard in his voice.

Killian couldn't say anymore as David practically stormed into him suddenly. Their bodies met heatedly, sending chills up both of them, as David wrapped his arms tightly around Killian and hugged him strongly. Ripples and waves of feelings swirled through his body, as he latched onto the thing that was once lost to him.

It felt unreal to David, like he was grabbing something that wasn't real. But he knew it was real. He never felt like this when he hugged Killian in his dreams. Only in reality did he shiver with happiness like that.

He had lost him once, and he wasn't going to again.

Killian laced his arms around David, as well, and firmly met his hug. They buried their heads against each other, as the threat of tears loomed for both of them.

The two men were left that way for quite some time, silent, though their bodies were plastered together thickly. Strongly. They were an unbreakable bond, just as they had been before all of this, though now even stronger than ever.

Neither one spoke, not wanting to. All they wanted was to hold onto the thing they loved so dearly, and had been separated from for so long, tightly, and to never let go.

"Pan forced me to stage my death. He said he would kill you, and I couldn't let that happen."

He waited for a response from the man, though one did not come. Instead, David only squeezed on the man tighter.

"He's dead now. We're safe. David, please forgive me."

"I forgive you," David interrupted between breaths, his voice quivering slightly, "It doesn't matter what happened. You're back n-now. Just know that this time I am never letting you go again."


End file.
